Amarr Sand

Author: Kirin Freir

Original post:

Author's Comment: The goal of this piece was to be cinematic: I had a film in my mind and I tried to put it on paper like if we were following a camera.
The inspiration of this was, of course and in no small part, Villeneuve’s Dune films.

A short fiction piece for Just About. Entry for YC126 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest in the Prose category.

In the beginning all things were as one.
God parted them and breathed life into his creation
Divided the parts and gave each its place
And unto each, bestowed purpose

Sand.

So small and yet so endless.

It rolled over itself pushed by the wind, upward, till the edge of the dune, before disappearing, blow over. It was a sea of dunes, slow and yet unstoppable, moving towards the far away sun. With patience and resilience, the sand overcame every obstacle and swallowed every opponent, sanding them clean of their sins.

High above, the sun, a fiery ball of fire, scorched the sand sea, as bright as only the power of God could be. Nothing could hide and survive its heat, for it reached everywhere at once, the night only a meagre respite.

The Amarr people came into the world and the world came into being.
Our illustrious ancestors freed their souls from the evils of the old.
world and created a new one.

The words bestowed upon men by God itself resounded onto the vastness of the sand sea as, from its depth, aroused the creation of God: a mighty ship appeared, slowly rising, sand falling from its top, whirling around it, prey to new winds.

Its beak shaped bow casted a sharp shadow on the ground below, the massive engines on its stern made the sky tremble. The hull was the color of the depths below the sand sea, as dark as the dark grey of the foundations of the world. It was the color of the sand, as tan as the dunes it was rising from. It was the color of God, as golden as the sun bathing the ship in its light.

I give to you the destiny of Faith,
And you will bring its message to every planet of every star in the heavens:
Go forth, conquer in my Name, and reclaim that which I have given.

The mighty ship was christened with the words of God. Apocalypse was its name. To bring the message of God to every planet of every star across the galaxy was its duty. A mighty ship for a mighty Empire, rooted in the sand of its world and in the scorching light of God.

Below the mighty ship, troops were arrayed. They stood on a flat expanse of sand in between the dunes, straight and still, even with the sand buffeting them and with the ship looming from above.

So the Lord sent forth the Chosen,
to bring forth the light of faith
And those who embrace his love
Shall be saved by his grace
For we are his shepherds in the darkness
His Angels of Mercy.
But those who turn away from his light,
And reject his true word
Shall be struck down by his wrath
For we are his retribution incarnate
His Angels of Vengeance

Row after row of men and women, their armors blended in the desert with their tan colors while the gold inlays absorbed and reflected the light of God. The banners with the uncinate crown, symbol of the Empire, flapped proud in the sandy wind.

They were the best of the Empire, they were the Chosen, they were the Angels of Vengeance. To hunt and cleanse those who turned away from the light of God was their duty. A single-minded force for a single-minded Empire, rooted in the sand of its world and in the scorching light of God.

Surround yourself with the faithful,
Stand together,
for there is no strength like it under the heavens

As one, the troops moved. With a rumble, they turned. Landing ships were waiting behind each column and, as one, they marched up the ramps of the waiting ships. Once and only once the troops were on board, the landing ramps closed, and the landing ships arose in a whirlwind of sand. They headed upward, toward the waiting Apocalypse. One after another, they disappeared into its hangar.

It was time.

The ships slowly turned upward, the engines flared as they fought gravity, the beak no more pointing down at the sand but pointing up, toward the sky. It was time for the Chosen ones to head for the stars, reach out into the Heavens and bring forth the word of God.

For they were the Amarrians, the Chosen ones, the most faithful servants of God.